Constructing Activist Translation in History. Women Translators' Activist Engagement in Austria and Germany, 1871-1918

Although translators have been involved in a wide range of political actions and movements throughout history, much of the relevant research – particularly with regard to activism – has focused on contemporary contexts so far (exceptions include Cheung 2010; Gould, Tahmasebian 2020; Simon 1996). Using the examples of several women who were translating into German and also publicly advocating for feminist causes between 1871 and 1918 in the Austrian half of the Habsburg Empire and the German Empire, this article aims to stimulate a debate on why a historical perspective is needed to enhance our understanding of the intertwining of translation and activism. In elaborating my argument, I will draw on a broad range of primary sources, (auto-)biographical data and paratextual material and follow the gender studies scholars Elisabeth Klaus and Ulla Wischermann (2008) in their understanding of society as constituted of a single, medium and complex public sphere. By applying a broad understanding of the 'public' and the 'political', the activist potential of women's translation work becomes visible in realms that have traditionally been understood as 'private' and therefore rather 'apolitical' spheres in society. Finally, the insights gained from this approach will not only reveal a more complex image of translation as an activist tool in the past (for women), but should also set a precedent for current theoretical debates on translation-related activism as well as for its real-life practice.